To the best of our ability, therefore, as in a
treatise of this nature, we have answered the objection, that “if
Jesus had really wished to manifest his divine power, he ought to have
shown himself to those who ill-treated him, and to the judge who
condemned him, and to all without reservation.” There was,
however, no obligation on Him to appear either to the judge who
condemned Him, or to those who ill-treated Him. For Jesus spared
both the one and the other, that they might not be smitten with
blindness, as the men of Sodom were when they conspired against the
beauty of the angels entertained by Lot. And here is the account
of the matter: “But the men put forth their hand, and
pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. And they
smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both
small and great; so that they wearied themselves to find the
door.”
33823382 Cf.
Gen. xix. 10, 11. [Also
Jude 7, “strange (or
other)
flesh.”] Jesus,
accordingly, wished to show that His power was divine to each one who
was capable of seeing it, and according to the measure of His
capability. And I do not suppose that He guarded against being
seen on any other ground than from a regard to the fitness of those who
were incapable of seeing Him. And it is in vain for Celsus to
add, “For he had no longer occasion to fear any man after his
death, being, as you say, a God; nor was he sent into the world at all
for the purpose of being hid.” Yet He was sent into the
world not only to become known, but also to be hid. For all that
He was, was not known even to those to whom He was known, but a certain
part of Him remained concealed even from them; and to some He was not
known at all. And He opened the gates of light to those who were
the sons of darkness and of night, and had devoted themselves to
becoming the sons of light and of the day. For our Saviour Lord,
like a good physician, came rather to us who were full of sins, than to
those who were righteous.